Rust

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D presents an unusual combination in Rust: a mid-range 6-core CPU from 2022 driving one of the most powerful consumer GPUs currently available. The benchmark data collected for this pairing is measured, not estimated, and it reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at lower resolutions but finds a more balanced footing at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across three resolutions and four quality presets, examines the division of labor between the processor and graphics card, and contextualizes the results against other tested hardware combinations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold for this analysis is 60 frames per second, and the data shows that this combo clears that bar at every tested resolution and preset. The most demanding setting that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the maximum available preset in each case.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 150 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the test suite, and the average frame rate is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. The headroom is substantial enough that players could enable every visual option without concern for dropping below playable performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again delivers the best visual quality while averaging 103 FPS. The drop from 150 FPS at 1080p to 103 FPS at 1440p represents a 31% reduction in average frame rate, but the margin above the 60 FPS threshold remains comfortable. The system still has roughly 43 FPS of headroom before hitting the playability floor.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This is the tightest margin of any resolution, with only 1 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that 4K Ultra is technically playable, but the average sits right at the edge. Players who experience slight dips in demanding scenes could find themselves below 60 FPS, though the measured average remains above the line. The High preset at 4K averages 80 FPS, offering a safer margin for those who prefer consistency over maximum quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling pattern across resolutions reveals a classic shift in bottleneck behavior. At 1080p, the CPU plays the dominant role in determining frame rates, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This is evident from the relatively modest frame rate differences between low and high presets at 1080p, contrasted with the larger gaps at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 205 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 150 FPS. The difference between these two extremes is 55 FPS, or a 27% reduction from Low to Ultra. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is working near its limits at these high frame rates, and the GPU has enough headroom that visual quality settings have a limited impact on overall performance. The Medium preset at 176 FPS and High preset at 166 FPS show a relatively gentle slope, suggesting the CPU is the primary constraint.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. Low averages 181 FPS, Medium averages 155 FPS, High averages 136 FPS, and Ultra averages 103 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 78 FPS, a 43% reduction. The GPU is beginning to take on more responsibility, as the increased pixel count places greater demands on the rendering hardware. The gap between Medium and High (19 FPS) and between High and Ultra (33 FPS) widens, indicating that the GPU's workload is scaling more steeply with quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is firmly in control. Low averages 141 FPS, Medium averages 95 FPS, High averages 80 FPS, and Ultra averages 61 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 80 FPS, a 57% reduction. The 4K resolution quadruples the pixel count compared to 1080p, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus are being exercised heavily. The CPU, by contrast, has far less work to do at these lower frame rates, and its performance ceiling is no longer the primary constraint.

The data also shows that the RTX 5090 D is severely underutilized at 1080p. The jump from 1080p Low at 205 FPS to 1440p Low at 181 FPS is only 12%, despite the 78% increase in pixel count. This suggests the CPU is holding back performance at the lower resolution. At 4K Low, the average drops to 141 FPS, a 22% reduction from 1440p Low, demonstrating that the GPU finally becomes the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: average 205 FPS
• Medium: average 176 FPS, minimum 149 FPS, maximum 202 FPS
• High: average 166 FPS
• Ultra: average 150 FPS

The Medium preset at 1080p provides the only min/max data in this resolution class, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS. The 53 FPS range between minimum and maximum indicates some scene-to-scene variability, but the minimum stays well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset's 150 FPS average is notably close to the Medium preset's maximum of 202 FPS, showing that quality settings have a measurable but not overwhelming impact at this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: average 181 FPS
• Medium: average 155 FPS, minimum 132 FPS, maximum 179 FPS
• High: average 136 FPS
• Ultra: average 103 FPS

The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS, a range of 47 FPS. The average of 155 FPS sits almost exactly between these extremes. The Ultra preset's 103 FPS average is 52 FPS below the Medium average, demonstrating that the move to maximum quality carries a substantial performance cost at this resolution.

3840x2160:

• Low: average 141 FPS
• Medium: average 95 FPS, minimum 81 FPS, maximum 109 FPS
• High: average 80 FPS
• Ultra: average 61 FPS

The 4K Medium preset shows the tightest min/max spread in the dataset, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS, a range of just 28 FPS. This consistency suggests that the GPU is being kept busy but is not hitting hard bottlenecks. The Ultra preset's 61 FPS average is the lowest in the entire dataset, and the gap between High at 80 FPS and Ultra at 61 FPS is 19 FPS, representing a 24% drop for the final quality tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Rust at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. However, the margin is only 1 FPS, so players who experience any slight variation in scene complexity could see dips below 60 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The CPU is the primary constraint at 1920x1080. The Low preset averages 205 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 150 FPS, a difference of only 27%. The GPU has enough headroom that increasing visual quality has a limited impact on frame rates.

Q: How does the 1440p performance compare to 1080p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 103 FPS compared to 150 FPS at 1080p, a 31% reduction. The Low preset drops from 205 FPS to 181 FPS, a 12% reduction, showing that lower settings are less affected by the resolution increase.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the entire test suite?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 81 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Medium preset. This is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 4K a safe choice for consistent play?

A: The average of 61 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra leaves essentially no margin for error. The High preset at 80 FPS offers a more comfortable buffer, and the Medium preset at 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS is the safest option for consistent performance.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems for Rust?

A: This combination ranks 118th out of 3723 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.2% of all configurations tested for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 118th out of 3723 tested combos for Rust. This places the pairing in the top 3.2% of all configurations in the database. The rank is notable because the CPU is a mid-range part from 2022, while the GPU is a flagship from 2025. The ranking reflects the game's behavior: Rust is demanding enough at 4K that the GPU matters greatly, but the CPU's performance at lower resolutions prevents the combo from climbing higher.

The CPU itself sits at the 73rd percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rivals in CPU performance are the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with an average score of 19047 (0% difference), the Intel Core 3 201E with a score of 19056 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i5-1335U with 18982 (0.3% delta), and the AMD EPYC 7773X with 18979 (0.3% delta). These deltas are all within 0.3% of the i5-12400F's score, meaning the CPU's performance is essentially on par with these alternatives.

The GPU is at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals show more variance: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 (1.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 (-1.6% delta), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 (-2.1% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 (-2.4% delta). The RTX 5090 D actually scores below two of its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, though these are enterprise compute cards rather than gaming GPUs.

The Verdict

This PC can run Rust at all three tested resolutions with every preset clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: all four settings at each resolution are listed as playable.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance with the Ultra preset averaging 150 FPS. This is a comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors, and even the most demanding settings leave 90 FPS of headroom above the playability threshold. The 1440p results are equally strong, with Ultra averaging 103 FPS and all presets remaining well above 60 FPS.

The 4K results are playable but require attention. The Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, which is technically above the threshold but leaves almost no room for variation. The High preset at 80 FPS is a safer choice for consistent play, and the Medium preset at 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS is the most reliable option for 4K gaming. The data shows that this combo is capable of 4K gaming in Rust, but players who prioritize smoothness over maximum visual fidelity should consider dropping to High or Medium settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of the i5-12400F's average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS matches the Intel part almost exactly, with a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% behind, while the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X are both 0.3% ahead. Systems using any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Rust, though the EPYC 7773X is a server part and would not be a practical gaming choice.

For the GPU, the situation is more complex. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% behind. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 2.1% and 2.4% behind, respectively. These deltas indicate that the RTX 5090 D's synthetic benchmark score is slightly lower than two of its nearest rivals, but the gaming performance in Rust could differ from these synthetic results. The RX 6650M XT and RX 6850M XT are mobile GPUs, so a desktop system using those parts would behave differently in practice. The Tesla P100 cards lack modern gaming features despite their compute power, making them poor substitutes for gaming workloads.

For a system builder seeking similar performance, the practical takeaway is that the i5-12400F's CPU performance is well-matched by several alternatives, while the RTX 5090 D's gaming performance in Rust is likely to be bracketed by the RX 6850M XT on the lower end and the RX 6650M XT on the upper end, based on the synthetic benchmark deltas. The actual in-game frame rates would depend on how Rust scales with each GPU's architecture, but the benchmark data suggests these alternatives would land in a similar performance envelope.